Wrench.



s. A. HOLMAN.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.6,1908.

Patented 00027, 1908.

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WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed February 6, 1908. Serial N 0. 414,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. HOLMAN,

citizen of the United States, residing at Guadaloupe, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved construction of wrench that may be adjusted to nuts, pipes, or other work within a wide range of sizes and which in operation may be easily manipulated to engage with and be backed off the work so as to tighten or loosen. the same by obtaining repeated fresh holds thereon in an expeditious manner. And a further object of the invention is a wrench of this character embodying an angularly adjustable handle, so that the wrench may be operated in places where-an ordinary straight, rigid handle would be unavailable.

lVith these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench with parts in section; Fig. 2 is a top plan or edge view thereof; and, Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating a modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the respective jaws of my improved wrench. The jaw 1 is carried on the outer end of the shank 3 and said shank is formed on its outer edge with a series of bevel teeth 4, the outer edges of which are preferably flush with the said edge of the shank and all of which preferably incline towards the jaw 1 as shown. The jaw 2 is provided with the usual yoke which encircles and by which it is mounted to move longitudinally upon the shank 3, the yoke being provided in its inner edge with teeth coacting with the teeth 4.

5 designates an expansion spring which encircles the shank 3 and bears against the yoke of the jaw 2, so as to exert a tension to move said jaw towards thejaw 1. Both I jaws may be provided with work engaging teeth 6 as shown, or may be devoid thereof, according as judgment or taste may dictate.

The jaw 2 is formed with a rearwardly extending arm 7. The shank 3 and said arm 7 are pivotally connected at their rear ends between plates 8 that form part of the handle portion of the wrench, the said shank and arm being pivoted eccentrically to each other as indicated at 9 and 10, respectively, so that they are free to move relatively one with the other, so as to produce when moved an adjustability 0f the jaws 1 and 2 proportionate to the distance between their pivotal connections.

The handle of my improved wrench, in one embodiment thereof, includes in addition to the pair of spaced plates 8, a stem 11, the outer end of which is reduced and rounded as indicated at 13 and is provided with threads 14. An .interiorly threaded sleeve 15 works 011 the threaded outer end of the stem 11 and is designed to be worked forwardly on said stem so as to engage a slide 16 which is mounted upon and movable longitudinally on the main polygonal portion of the stem 11 and which is provided at its forward end with teeth 17 designed for intermeshing engagement with the teeth 18 formed on the rear edges of the plates 8.

In the practical operation of my improved wrench, it is evident from the foregoing description in connection with the accompany ing drawings, that the handle portion may be angularly adjusted with respect to the body portion of the wrench, by first backing the sleeve 15 away from the slide 16 and then slipping said slide outwardly on the stem 11 so that the said stem, which is pivotally mounted at one end on the pin 12 passing through the plates 8 may be swung to assume the desired angular relation to the body portion of the tool. When the desired position of the handle portion has been attained, the sleeve 15 is screwed forwardly again on the stem and into abutting engagement with the slide 16 so as to force .the same tightly into toothed engagement with the plates 8 and thereby rigidly hold the handle portion in place.

The resistance of the coil spring 5 is such as to permit the jaws 1 and 2 to readily open upon rocking the handle portion in one direction so as to secure the proper adj ustability or distance between the jaws 1 and 2- to embrace the work, as well as to permit said jaws to turn on the nut or other work when the wrench is moved or turned backwardly thereon, and at the same time, or immediately after backward pressure is relieved, to close the jaws upon the nut in the proper position for a subsequent turn in the forward direction. It is obvious that this can be repeated indefinitely so long as there is a slight resistance to the backward or left hand turning of the nut caused by the engagement of its threads with the bolt.

It will thus be seen that my invention provides a very simple and efficient construction of adjustable and quick acting wrench that can be instantly adjusted to any nut or other work within its range, and which, owing to the angular adjustment of which the handle portion is capable, may be operated to better advantage, at least under certain conditions, than a wrench with an ordinary rigidly connected handle portion.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to an angularly adjustable handle. For instance, as best shown in Fig. 3, the shank 3 of one jaw and the arm 7 of the other may be pivotally connected directly to a handle 19 which is devoid of this angularly adjustable characteristic.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wrench, comprising jaws and a handle portion operatively connected to said jaws, said handle portion embodying toothed plates, a stem pivotally connected to said plates, a slide mounted to move longitudinally on said stem and arranged for meshmg engagement with the teeth of said plates, and a sleeve adjustably mounted on the end of said stem and arranged to be moved into engagement with said slide to lock it into engagement with the teeth.

2. A wrench, comprising jaws, and a handle portion operatively connected to said jaws, said handle portion embodying toothed plates, a stem pivotally connected to said plates, and provided with an outer threaded extremity, aslide mounted to move longitudinally on said stem, and arranged for meshing engagement with the teeth of said plates, and a threaded sleeve mounted on the threaded end of said stem, arranged to be moved into engagement with said slide to hold it in engagement with the teeth.

3. A wrench, comprising a jaw 1, a shank 8 to which said jaw is secured, said shank being provided on its rear edge with teeth inclined towards the jaw, another jaw 2 provided. with a yoke encircling and by which it is mounted to move on the shank and formed with teeth coacting with the teeth of said shank, a spring encircling said shank and bearing against the second named jaw, with a tension to press it towards the first named jaw, the second named jaw being provided with a rearwardly extending arm, and a handle portion with which the shank and arm are pivotally connected in an eccentric relation to each other, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN A. HOLMAN. [L.s.] \Vitnesses R. O. JENSEN,

F. V. ABERNETHY. 

